


Unlimited

by darlathecyborgpluviophile



Series: It's Such A Wonderful Thing, To Love [3]
Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Dream Sequences, F/F, Goodbyes, Grief, Vignette, aerith's death, memory manipulation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2020-06-28 15:39:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19815322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darlathecyborgpluviophile/pseuds/darlathecyborgpluviophile
Summary: Out of the corner of her eye, a flash of pink. She turns, heart set at an uncertain beat, and sees –“I don’t have much time,” Aerith says, a hand on the house’s double doors.





	Unlimited

Tifa opens her eyes, and dark spots spatter across her vision; she raises a hand up to block the assault on her eyelids, which mostly works. The world swims into focus, and she sees: her hand, blocking the sun from the window ahead; the short cabinets that follow the curve of the wall just underneath; and a vase of gigantic, pink-and-white lilies that stretch tall towards the ceiling but sit close enough to her that she can smell their perfume.

She stands, in an attempt to get away from the rays of the late evening sun.

The house she finds herself in feels toasty, safe and comfortable. Behind her is a hulking television, and in the corner, a tiny kitchen with more of the lilies, a kettle, and a loaf of floury, untouched bread. The china cabinet nearby is filled with dishes, pristine and glittering as the last dregs of sunlight creep their way through the glass.

Out of the corner of her eye, a flash of pink. She turns, heart set at an uncertain beat, and sees –

“I don’t have much time,” Aerith says, a hand on the house’s double doors.

Tifa doesn’t understand. “We have all the time in the world.”

Aerith smiles, but it’s wobbly. She looks down at her boots, swallows: “You don’t remember. I know you don’t. I gave you this space so we could – “

She shakes her head.

“I have to go soon. But I wanted…I _needed_ a couple more minutes with you. More time.”

“I’m here,” Tifa says immediately, even though her face is hot and she’s holding back from crying with confusion. She pushes past it, moves forward, and clasps Aerith’s hands in her own. “I’m here, I promise.”

Aerith visibly loosens at the touch. Her thumbs clasp Tifa’s fingers, and she squeezes. “I’ve already talked to Cloud. I just need you to know that no matter what happens, I’m going to be okay, okay? And you are too.”

 _What?_ “What are you talking about?” Tifa feels like her words might be coming out a little harsh, but her throat is tight and she has this horrible, _horrible_ feeling of missing _something_. “Of course we’re going to be okay. We’ll get the Black Materia back somehow. Cloud though, I’m…I don’t know about him…”

“I know what’s wrong with Cloud. But we can’t get into that right now, that’s not what this is about.”

Tifa recoils like she’s been hit. “What? No, I think that is definitely something we can get into now – “

“No!”

Aerith drops her hands, and Tifa’s own fall, fall, fall.

“God, how is this worse than arguing with you?” Her eyes are cloudy but full of hurt, and her whole face twists with bitterness and sorrow. “Please. Just listen.”

And Tifa does. She shuts up, even with the burning of tears in her eyes, even with distress thumping her her chest. Even though, indeed, hazy not-quite-memories of arguments about the future of the Planet swirl inside of her skull.

Aerith’s eyes flutter closed – she’s concentrating on something.

Then a flirty smile blooms on her face, the same one that still makes Tifa’s heart flutter and her stomach sink to her feet even after so many months of exhaustion and fighting and heartache.

“We’re going to be okay,” Aerith says again. “This is the moment where everything changes. But it’s alright. It’s going to be scary as hell, but you’ll survive, and I’ll be okay.” Her huge green eyes sparkle with hope. “Do you understand?”

There isn’t much else to say other than, “Yes. Of course.”

Aerith exhales. “Good. I can rest easy now that you know you’re going to survive.”

“Of course,” Tifa repeats. Relief is flooding through her – she thought for a second that Aerith was going to say something genuinely scary.

“I want you to be happy,” Aerith says. “You and Cloud and Barrett and – everyone.”

“I’m happy with you,” Tifa replies, honestly. She moves back in, lifting a hand to Aerith’s cheek.

“I know.” There’s clearly something else that she wants to add there; it dies on her lips before she can voice it. But she dials her smile back up to full strength, and giggles as she suddenly grasps Tifa’s hand and tugs her through the double doors and out of the house with her, into the garden beyond.

As soon as the sun and the fresh air hits her face, so too does Aerith – they kiss in the orange glow of the sunset, with the scent of lilies and marigolds and roses blooming all around them.

The wind kicks up. Tifa can feel the cold rush of it wrap around their bodies, and she almost swears that Aerith kisses her harder, throwing her arms around her neck and clinging, imprinting her body on Tifa’s for years to come.

It’s hard to hear over the growing roar of the wind, but Tifa can just feel a warm breath by her ear:

“I’ll be with you. Always.”

Tifa opens her eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> _Have I mentioned today_   
>  _How lucky I am_   
>  [ _To be in love with you?_ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOezjIm_tx4)
> 
> [twitter: @darlathecyborg](https://twitter.com/darlathecyborg)


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